Device for estimating distances



R L. WILLIAMS.

DEVICE FOR ESTIMATING DISTANCES. APPLICATION HLED JUN. 24. I919.

1396391 Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

it dfi i ig ROBERT L. WILLIAMS, OF NEWTONpMASSACI-IUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 SUBMZARINE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION 01F MAINE.

DEVICE FOR. ESTIMATIN G DISTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ronnnr L. W'ILLIAMs, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Devices for Estimating Distances, of which the following is a specs fication.

may be determined. The submarine signaling device is usually suspended from a lightship and signals are given by a code number whlch identifies to the ship which particular li htship. it is approaching.

Where such a submarine and radio device are thus used to give a code signal there IS liable to be confusion at the receiving station owing to the plurality of signals, both submarine and wireless, which come to the observer at the receiving station, and his possible lack of ability to read the time between the kinds of signals correctly.

My invention provides means for overcoming this difficulty, and consists primarily in mechanism for sending the radio signal simultaneously with the first stroke only of j the submarine code orcither signal, so that having noted the moment of receipt of the radio signal, the observer 'inay devote his attention to the reading of the submarine signal as it is received. Such submarine sig. nal may be a code indicating the particular lightship which is being approached or may be a submarine signal from another ship.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawing, which shows diagrr'mniatically one embodiment thereof.

.i is a submarine signal of a well known ing roda connected to adiaphragm B forming a closure for a compressed air chamber 1, this latter mechanism being supported upon suitable supports 7) and the action of the diaphragm being such that as compressed air is supplied to the chamber 7) by suitable means (the details of which'are not shown), the lifting of the diaphragm pulls up the rod (1 the momentum of the clapper A causing it to strike the bell. Compressed air is supplied to the signaling apparatus and exhausted therefrom by means of pipes (2 leading from a compressed air apparatus 0. lVithin this apparatus C is a valve (not shown) which is raised and lowered or otherwise operated in order to supply compressed air intermittently to the signaling apparatus and to permit the exhaust air to escape. A valve-operating rod is indicated at c and is connected to the end of a lever cl pivoted on a support al and operated by means of a code wheel-D, suitably mounted on two supports D (one of which only is shown) and carrying dogs 0Z these dogs being arranged to engage the lever d at predetermined intervals and operate the valve in the apparatus C .at predetermined intervals to cause the clapper A to strike the bell A The code wheel D may be caused to rotate in any desired manner and at any desired rate of speed.

The radio apparatus is indicated at E and need not be described as it is a well known construction. 6 is the primary'of the transformer, which is connected by connections 6 with an alternating current generator F, which in turn is connected with one terminal of. a relay circuit closer G, the other terminal f" bein r connected with the primary 0. The relay 5 is connected by wires g with a source of current, which in turn is connected by a second wirei with a terminal 9 A spring terminal 5& is located to form a circuit closer with the terminal g and is connected by the wire 9 with. the upper end. a of the rod a. A terminal a, connected by wire 9 with the relay G, is located within the reach of the terminal (0, so that as the rod a is actuated upwardly by compressed air in the chamber Z), the terminal a engages the terminal a so as to make contact and close the circuit between g and f. It will be seen, however, that While thls occurs at every stroke of the rod 0:, the circuit is only closed through the relay G when this contact between a and a is simultaneous with contact between and 9 The circuit between 7 and g is closed by means of a roll d mounted 'on the code wheel D in line with the first dog (l of the series. It will be noted that on the code wheel D there are five of these dogs d, (P so that the wheel, which rotates in the direction of the arrow, will brin the dog d and roll (1 under the lever and circuit closer 9 respectivel so as to push them up simultaneously. fter the dog' and roll have passed under these parts they fall again into their normal position, until u on the further rotation of the code whee D the second dog d lifts the lever (i, and so on as the wheel revolves, the code number of the submarine signal in this case being 32.

Thus the relay G is only energized to close the circuit at f, f through the primary of the radio apparatus when the circuit closers a, a and g g are closed simultaneously. The receiving operator gets the single instantaneous radio signal and later hears the first blow of the submarine signal and by measuring thetime between the receipt of the radio signal and the first blow of the submarine signal, can calculate his distance from the lightship or other station. The code signal of the submarine apparatus notifies him of the particular light ship he is ap roaching.

t is evident that this invention may be embodied inother ty es of apparatus from that shown and a so that what is termed the submarine apparatus may be in fact operated in the air. In other words, the invention as described in the claims is not limited to any specific apparatus nor submarine use but to the comparison f dis.-

. tances by means of the travel of sound through different media or by. different waves.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a signaling system, in combination, a submarine signaling apparatus and a radio transmitter, and means whereby said transmitter will be operated to give a single signal simultaneously with said apparatus during a portion of the operation of said apparatus, and said apparatus will 0 erate independently of sald transmitter uring the remaining portion thereof.

2. In a signaling system, in combination, a submarine signaling apparatus, a radio transmitter comprising a circuit closer and means adapted to cause the operation of said submarine signaling apparatus to give a predetermined number of signals and to operate said circuit closer to close its circuit simultaneously with the giving of the first of said submarine signals.

3. In a signaling system, in combination,

close it once simultaneousl a submarine signaling apparatus adapted to give a predetermined series of signals and comprising a code wheel and a radio transmitter comprising a normally open circuit having a circuit closer, means for operating said circuit closer located on said codewheel to close the circuit simultaneously with the giving of the first-of said series of submarine signals.

'4. In a signaling system, in combination,

a submarine signaling apparatus adapted.

to give a predetermined series of signals,

and a radio transmitter comprising a circuit, means for closing said circuit comprising a second normally-open circuit, means for closing said second circuitcomprising a code wheel having a series of dogs corresponding to the desired code adapted to operate said apparatus, and means to engage the circuit closer of said second circuit to close itsimultaneously with the operation of the first do of said series, and means located in sai submarine signaling apparatus whereby each of said dogs will cause the operation of said submarine signalin apparatus to give a signal;

' 6. n a signaling system, in combination, a submarine signaling a'p'paratus adapted and a radio transmitter comprising a circuit, means for closing said circuit comprising a second normal v-open circuit, means for closing" said second circuit comprising a code wheel having a series of dogs corresponding to the desired code adapted to operate said apparatus, and means adapted to engage thecircuit closer of said second cir cuit to close it simultaneously with the operation of the first dog of said series, Jneans located in said submarine signaling. apparatus whereby each of said dogs will cause the operation of said submarine, signaling aparatus to give a signal, and means also ocated in said submarine signaling apparatus whereby the giving of a signal thereby will close a second circuit closer in said secand circuit.

7. A pneumatic submarinesignaling apparatus and means for operating it comprising a compressed air container and an operative connection between said container "to give a predetermined series of signals,

and said apparatus, a valve thergin whereidy; compressed an may be dehvered from salgl contalner to sand apparatus, and meansjfoxr' operating said; vaheintermittently, and a radio transmitterka'nd means for operating it qomprisinga normally-open circuit, a re;- lay adapted to close said clrcuit; and acir- ROBERT L. WILLIAMSf 

